As You Wish
Chapter Thirteen
Sleep had come. Not well, but Yvette had finally been able to settle herself on the hard floor enough to allow her body to give in to the tiredness that had taken over her.
She had learned through her conversations with Alise that the King of France had chosen to travel separately from her, sending his best guards as her leads, fearing that something of the sort would occur, and was no more than a half a days journey behind her.
She had been betrothed to the Prince a few years earlier when King Phillip gambled away the countries money leaving them on the edge of poverty, and took one last chance at a gamble, offering his own son in a game to Alise's father. King Phillip of course had lost, leaving no other choice but to allow Alise as his sons future bride, and leaving Alise heartbroken being torn away from a man she really loved.
Yvette was sickened by the story over how King Phillip had lost his own son in a game and vowed to spread the news to have the man thrown from his throne as soon as she could be released.
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Dreams of sunsets and flowers and walking along the lake with Beauty by her side filled her head as she slipped deeper into sleep trying to get a clearer image of the tall handsome man approaching her, but that image ,however, had been interrupted as the clanking of her prison bars were opened and by rough hands was yanked from inside her confines to the center of the room she had been shoved to upon arrival.
She blinked against the light of the flaming torch that was being held dangerously close to her face and focused her eyes on Jon as he stood over her.
"How did a peasant girl as you claim to be, get your hands on a prized token from the palace?"
Her eyes traveled to the palm of his hand now opened before her, and studied the familiar gold coin he had taken from her when she had been taken as his hostage, and understood now that that coin held more meaning than she thought it would. The meaning of that coin, however, had been lost to her as she realised this was her only given moment of freedom and if she did not react on that now, her next freedom maybe of that found only in her death.
The small knife sticking from his worn leather boots drew her eye and she quickly gazed around, judging the positions of the three men hovered above her, and to what weapons each one contained. Only that knife with the intricately carved handle seemed to be all Jon possessed while the other two men wore none visible to the eye.
She thought quickly of her plan of attack and decided to make her move as Jon's voice, much harsher than before, reminded her that he was awaiting her answer.
"Answer me you sewage rat. To whom did you get this medallion from?"
"His name is unknown to me. He claimed to be a Knight of King Phillip and gave to me the object which you hold as an invitation to the festival." She spoke, pushing herself to a sitting position, allowing her to be closer to the knife.
"I do not believe you. No one, especially one of your nature, receives a piece such as this as a simple invitation. What business do you have with the Prince?"
Jon yelled, stepping closer to her and giving her a better reach of the weapon.
"I do not know the Prince, have never seen him. I only know of the nameless Knight."
"YOU LIE!"
Her hand reached out, ready to grab the object, when a flustered Jon took a step away from her, passing the torch to the man on his left, and reached down grabbing a handful of her hair yanking her head backwards.
"You already know of the pain of not following my rules and I will ask you only once more before inflicting pain once again. What business do you hold with the Prince?"
"None." She whispered, and fell back, her head hitting the stone floor as his hand made contact across her cheek.
"Sir, we believe the knights may have some clue of our whereabouts. What shall we do?"
Jon turned to the new man who approached them and folded his arms across his chest, rubbing at his chin as he thought of a quick solution.
"I will take the wagon and move west a few miles to throw them off track. Throw the girl into the cell and brick up the outside door. Let no one, not even a Lark, through the gates and I will return in a few days time."
"Yes sir." The man granted, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her body across the floor back to the cell that awaited her, and with a shove of his foot to her side, forced her in, locking the pad on the bars. Licking his lips the man eyed her as Jon and his men made their way from the cells, and grinned, revealing to her the few black teeth that still remained in his mouth.
"I shall return for you pretty one, for I look forward to you pleasuring me in many many ways."
Disgust filled her as his laughter bounced off the sone walls as he exited, and she closed her eyes wrapping her good hand around the metal bar, yanking back and forth on it as she screamed, releasing some of her pint up anger.
"Silence will hold the mystery over you. Anger will shatter your fate."
Yvette fell silent as the new voice filled her ears and she held her breath, listening beyond her small bounds, almost believing the voice she heard had not been real.
"Who is there?" Alise questioned the stranger before Yvette ever could, and the two girls waited in long silence, breaths being held with anticipation, as no other sound was heard in the darkness again.
@2005HarmonyProduction/lancesharmony
